10 Forensic Techniques Done Badly on TV

Of all the characters on all the forensic crime shows, perhaps the most unrealistic is Abby, the Goth, dog collar wearing scientist on "NCIS." It's not so much that Abby's anti-establishment vibe would fall flat in a straight-laced law-enforcement environment. It's also the fact that she appears to know just about everything about forensics, which is also the case with the cast members of the various "CSI" shows. In actuality, most of the scientists working in the lab specialize in one or two areas, like drug chemistry or DNA. They might have a chemistry background, but not one in biology or toxicology [source: Clutter].